The Camp-Galhan winery in the Cevennes also produces sweet onions and green asparagus on 4 hectares. Lionel Pourquier, manager of the farm, has been adapting and perfecting his production techniques for several decades in order to offer the most tender and highest quality asparagus possible. “Twenty years ago, we produced white asparagus which we exported to the north, Germany and Switzerland. But since consumption in the southeast of France is mainly oriented towards green asparagus, we decided to turn to an exclusive production of green asparagus.”
French asparagus: more sensitive and mouth-melting
As for his onion production, Lionel Pourquier has chosen to grow a French variety of asparagus. "Of course, the variety may be slightly less productive, more sensitive and more difficult to work with than the Dutch variety, but it has much less fiber and it is more tender and mouth-melting.” These qualities are even more marked thanks to the characteristics of this particular terroir, where the famous Cevennes onions are also grown. “The silty soils allow for the rapid growth of the asparagus, which makes them more tender and sweet.”
Production under plastic mulch: more technique for better quality
Besides the choice of variety and soil, a special production technique is also used to obtain the best possible quality. “The entire production is carried out under plastic mulch. This technique provides thermal protection against late frost, which has affected the region regularly. Our region is known to freeze very easily. But it is also a technique that allows us to gain in precocity and protect the asparagus from thermal variations by putting them in the best possible conditions for a fast and quality growth. Because the faster the asparagus grows in the best conditions, the more tender and smooth it will taste. Of course, this requires additional work because we have to be careful about high temperatures, and uncover them to let them take their color. There is constant work to be done with the temperatures, and a lot of technique required, but the result is amazing.”
“La Fondante de Camp-Galhan”: a premium brand
The product obtained, graded and packaged on site, is intended for a high-end market in search of excellence. “We sell our asparagus under our own brand (La Fondante de Camp-Galhan), which we market either directly on the farm, to early marketers in the surrounding area or at Rungis to wholesalers specialized in premium products. All of our products are HEV certified, an additional proof of our commitment to the environment.”
